A number of patents disclose umbrella holders which secure opened umbrellas on the body so as to free both hands of the user. The umbrella holders disclosed in the prior art range from a complex mechanical device to a simple all of harness, which have some drawback.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,020,666; 1,466,715 and 4,537,339 disclose an umbrella holder having a large rigid device which secures the umbrella to a leather or metallic harness. These devices are quilt cumbersome and relatively complicated to use.
Other umbrella holders reduced the amount of hardware needed to support the umbrella by simply mounting a rigid pocket or tube to a harness. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,085,984 discloses an umbrella holder comprising an elongated pocket having a stiff backing plate maintained against the user's chest by two straps. The umbrella holder is relatively uncomfortable for the user because it requires placement of the upper strap under the shoulder. Another drawback is that the umbrella holder can only be used with an umbrella specifically manufactured to be used in conjunction therewith.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,700,149 also discloses an umbrella holder having a rigid holder fastened to a continuous strap which functions as both a belt and shoulder strap. Again, this holder is considered to be uncomfortable when in use because the shoulder strap passes under the user's shoulder. In addition, the placement and removal of the umbrella into and out of the holder is time-consuming and complex.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,657,263 discloses an umbrella holder comprising a harness lo with no tube or pocket to retain the umbrella. The handle and shaft of the umbrella is merely fastened to the harness at one point on the belt and another point on the shoulder strap. The rear portion of the shoulder strap crosses the user's back, however, the front portion extends over the shoulder and down the chest, generally perpendicular to the belt. The shoulder strap does not provide any lateral support to the umbrella, therefore the umbrella may have a tendency to pull the strap off the user's shoulder. Another disadvantage is that the shoulder strap does not have any adjustment so as to accommodate different size individuals.